Will They, Won't They, Won't They, What?
by Scarlet Compass
Summary: Aug/Annnie. Starting off at the base of the Auggie Annie friendship, and watching it grow through snapshots of the trials and tribulations of the CIA and the ever clever trickster by the name of Life. The plotline is mine, nothing else. Review please.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first attempt to write anything in months, I know its rough. This is in response to a reviewer of my story Thermometer's request for something more than just a oneshot, something that started at the roots of Annie and Auggie's friendship, and built its way up to, well, more and beyond. I'm usually not one for such off track from the actual tv show stuff, but I figured I'd try my hand. What do you think? Please be brutally honest, like it, hate it, how true am I to the characters, etc. In short, I beseech you, REVIEW!

P.S. I realize this is short for a first chapter, but its a tester, nothing more, it will or won't continue based on your reception of it

"Completely uncalled for."

"Uhh! It was _so _called for! You up and left me at the table, to go get 'refills'," The last word emphasized with air-quotes made by an exasperated blond, the gesture itself totally wasted upon her companion.

"I look over at the bar 5 minutes later, wondering what's taking so long, and there you are, chatting up the barmaid!"

The dark-eyed youthful man making the trek into CIA headquarters with the blond suddenly forgot the need to lightly grip her elbow in his large hand, and came stumbling to a stop. The man then made a grand gesture of turning his head towards her with and exaggerated sway, and said, a huge grin blossoming on his face,

"Miss Anne Catherine Walker, you jest. _Bar_maid?"

Annie looked flustered, opening and closing her mouth for a split second before she could get her bearings in the conversation.

"What? Why did you say it like that?" she asked huffily.

"Oh nothing, I just didn't know that we were back in the dark ages, is all. Spfft. Barmaid. I'll have to ensure that gets put on the list, with all the other Annie-isms."

"What? That's what my dad called them, I just, never got out of the habit of, would you stop with the evil li—hey, August Anderson, don't you dare laugh at me—ugh, you know, you can forget me getting your coffee tomorrow, just you wait." Sometime during their dispute they forgot entering the HQ doors entirely, and had come face to face, Annie eyeballing her verbal attacker, said attacker holding one hand dramatically to his sternum, trying to stifle the giggles erupting from his chest. Unfortunately for him, the poor man couldn't see the flash of inspiration and mischief crinkle the corners of her almond colored eyes. Suddenly Annie took one small step forward, for that's all it took to put her chest to chest with her offender. She then stood on her tiptoes, still dwarfed by him despite her 4 inch loboutins, and whispered in a "I'm sexy and your dead" voice, "You'll be longing for that wonderful, _rich_ dark french roast with a _dollop_ of cream, and guess who won't get any?" She then pulled back just enough to poke her right index finger squarely into his washboard stomach, voice back to its usual, teasing level volume. "You. Because who won't be taking your coffee order? Me." She then turned on her heels and bustled off to her office meeting with her and Auggie's boss. However, if you passed her in the hallway at that moment, you might see the flash of her spunky little half-grin as she listened to Auggie's plaintive attempts to once again win over his friend, and faithful coffee barista.


	2. Chapter 2

_PLEASE READ AN BEFORE: Hey sorry, took me so long to update. But I have decided that this will not be a strictly speaking "series" or "storyline". It will be a series of one shots, that somewhat follow a linear timeline, as far as their developing relationship. This will allow me to play around with perspectives, writing styles, etc. All the while still leading up to Auggie/Annie, just in random points of time. Hope you enjoy._

_Get out, there's a bomb! Get ou-_...

His eyes opened in a flash, he sensed his decision to do so, could feel the miniature muscles of his lids respond to that command, to allow for analysis of where he was, what was happening. Yet, almost like an equation that's solution cannot exist, the result of his decision, those muscles flexing, was nothing. Blank, dark, vast. It was almost worse than the momentary expectation of light and images he used to get just after losing his sight. Worse because that meant that reality had fully festered in him, reaching even his subconscious mind, blotting out any ignorant hope, even if for just a second. Yeah, it really tanked that he got to taste the dark side of life before he even opened his eyes everyday.

"Auggie?"

He could sense her, her soft, husky tone lowered in concern, her constant and subtle scent of grapefruit perfume. She stood somewhere in the vincinity of the door, and after blinking several times, Auggie's hand traced its way to the watch on his wrist, to the button that would confirm why Annie might be here.

"_12:37am"_

"Wow, Annie, what are you still doing here? You shoulda been outta here and on your third cold one at the Tavern." He felt his decision to smile, felt the muscles around his mouth pull, form, stretch, hopefully into something believable. He didn't want to smile, not today, but for Annie, he'd try.

"Don't try and charm me, Mr. Anderson, you don't get brownie points for wasted effort."

The smile faded a bit, the muscles losing tension, and his lids slid back over his eyes once again, tension squeezing them tight.

"Annie, just been a long day, but I'm fine. Gotta, couple more, of these codes to input and then-"

He had turned his chair away from her direction back to his computer screen, so was quite surprised when the chair turned, not by his decision, back towards the door, and a subtle, but overwhelming puff of grapefruit perfume ghosted over his senses, and found himself a little annoyed that he wasn't paying attention to the clicking of her heels coming towards him. He heard the slickness of her suit as it rustled as she presumably knelt in front of him, her hands moving from the arms of his chair to gently rest atop his wrists.

"Aug, I'm not sure what it is, but, 'It' doesn't get you out of me trying to be a friend, and making sure you don't stay here all night."

Once more, something happened without his decision to do so: he smiled. He can hear the answering grin in her response

"That's more like it, care to accompany me to the Tavern, be my drinking compadre?" She stood up, pulling on his wrists, but he rose willingly, his decision, but not by much. Not when it's her.

"Lead the way Walker, let me call us a cab, my treat." He could almost sense the rolling of her eyes, dark brown, if Jai is any sort of reliable source to go by, not.

"Auggie, my car is here at HQ."

"My dear Annie, what kind of man would I be if I let you get smashed at the Tavern, and then proceeded to let you drive home? It's either me behind the wheel, or a cabbi, your choice."

She laughed and it bounced pleasantly around the room. He felt warmth radiate from her arm as she looped it though his, and together, they slipped from the building.

"Auggie, you can see a couple stars out tonight, they're beautiful. You never see many stars down here."

He felt a sad tug, but quashed it.

"That would be the light pollution."

She lightly elbowed him.

"I'm aware, thank you _Auggie. _I was just thinking about this little house I stayed at in Kabri, Israel. I swear I wouldn't be surprised if there were some galaxies mixed in with the stars, you could see so much."

Auggie paused, and decided.

"Tell me more."

Annie was silent for a moment, then hugged herself closer to his arm, her head on his shoulder, and described a vast, dark, full night sky, as several small lights twinkled in the distance above them.

End


	3. Chapter 3 Part 1

"Jesus Christ!"

It was kind of grotesquely beautiful, the way the varying purples and greens and blues swirled and burst apart in a pattern one might associate with fireworks, were it not for the canvas of skin said colors were displayed upon.

Ughhhhh, _Wonderful." _

"That sounds promising."

Annie, currently in only her purple lace bra and battle-torn, dark grey business pants, whipped around, and preceded to grab the sink as a pained gasp ripped from her throat at the sudden movement.

"Auggie? Wh-Weren't you in Colombia the last time I talked to you...yesterday?"

She could see that he had very clearly just left the airport. For one, the leather satchel he magically stuffs any and all supplies into for any amount of time away from home, was draped diagonally over his left shoulder to rest at his right hip. He was also not dressed in his usual work attire, but rather in his preferred long sleeve gray cotton tee, a frumpy maroon sweatshirt that hung from a messy knot around his hips, and baggy, dark-wash jeans, that lead down to his ever-present brown loafers. That and he was now scoping his way across the white and black tiled floor towards her with his white cane, which he uses when out in the public-eye in the stead of his green laser.

"I told you I was only going to be there through thursday."

Annie, still paused with her hand holding the sink, blinked owlishly at him.

"Wait, It's Friday already?"

He went about executing an exaggerated eye roll as his cane finally came into contact with her Louboutin heel, and slowly tilted his head down towards her gaze, brown eyes focusing somewhere around her left shoulder.

"I just wanted to check in and make sure no one had moved my trashcan again, and ran into Stu, who told me you were sent on a little flight to Chile, and that judging by the fact that you were sporting a lovely new shade of purple around your neck and looked like you were in desperate need of a good ol' shot of Patron, It wasn't exactly a smooth ride."

He smirked slightly as she groaned, his eyes flickering when that groan hitched as her abused throat and ribs stretched.

"You could say that. I got the info, but not before the goon tailing me got his fair share of the action. Lucky for me, I have a best friend who kicks ass at combat training."

He chuckled, but then his gaze drifted over her, as if he were trying to assess her injuries.

"How bad?"

"Well, Joan had me checked over for any broken bones, but after that was ruled out I said I could take care of the bandaging. I've got some badly bruised ribs, If you could see it you'd swear my skin was actually purple and that I bruise tan, no lasting damage to my trachea, though i've got some nice coloring there, a cut on my forehead and a lovely black eye, where my 'dance partner' tossed me into a coffee cart, but other than that, I'm just _really,_ sore."

Auggie let out an appreciative whistle, and began folding up his cane, while dislodging his satchel, letting it drop to the bathroom floor.

"Well, I happen to be excellent at first aid, and have a complementary ride to Allen's Tavern. Need a hand?"

"Aug, I'd say you just became my new best friend, but we've already done that bit, so I'll stick with thanks."

"It's what I'm here for. So, where are you at with the patching business?"

Annie carefully grabbed the box of supplies she had precariously balanced on the sink, along with her change of clothes, slowly shifting back to face him.

"I actually haven't even started. I had just finished assessing the damage myself when you came in."

He clapped his hands

"Perfect, now that I know I don't have to fix your mess," He shot a smile at her as if he could see the burning desire to punch his shoulder cross her face, but her body took some offense at that idea.

"We can do this right. Ok, so, last I 'accidentally' entered the little ladies' room,"

Annie snorted

"I distinctly remember there being a rather comfortable shelf space to sit on."

She sighed, shook her head, and gingerly reached her left arm to his. He seemed to sense her fear of being bumped, and he carefully wrapped his hand around her bicep.

"Along the wall to your, ouch, to your 11 o'clock." she murmured, slowly unlatching his hand from her arm, placing it on the countertop. "But Aug, not sure that's gonna work, I don't think I can get up there, my muscles are shot."

Carefully gliding his hand over the surface of the synthetic counter, he carefully slid the med supplies aside. He then reached out, and after grazing his hand against her shoulder, took a firmer hold on both of her elbows.

"Bend your arms close to your sides, lock the joints." She looked at him first in confusion, then apprehension, but did as he asked. "This will jolt you a little bit, so brace yourself." Auggie then lightly jerked her into the air, lifting her up by her elbows, and carefully lowered her onto the shelf. Annie rubbed her side a bit, but couldn't stop the smile.

"Show-off."

"Lightweight."

"Spfft. Ok _Dr. Auggie_, work your magic." He grinned, and made a show of linking his hands, an impressive crack sounding as he stretched them in front of himself.

"Alright. Now, before I go blindly probing away, give me an idea of what I'm 'looking' at , and where the areas I-shouldn't-touch-a-ten-foot-feather-duster-it-hurts-so-bad are." _He really would be the best doctor, in another life. _Annie thought to herself as she looked up into his expectant, warm gaze.

"Well, the ribs are obviously a major part of the damage, according to the emt that gave me the once-over i've got some pretty undesirable bruising, but I can deal with it like a big girl, forehead stings a little, but not too much, the right side of my face however, that feels like its been hit with a 2x4..."

He nodded sagely.

"a proper ass-whooping if I ever heard one." Annie's mouth popped open in consternation, even as the corners of her lips struggled to defeat the smile threatening to dominate her very sore face.

"Hey! I gave just as much as I got, buster, and if I weren't afraid of ending up on the floor curled up in a ball from the pain, I would hit you." his eyes scrunched as his signature, halting chuckle bubbled up from the depths of his military-issued chest.

"Duly-noted, my mild-mannered invalid." he promptly, and very gently, traced his hand up her arm and patted her uninjured cheek.

To Be Continued.


End file.
